Illegal immigration is just that, and cannot be tolerated. The last amnesty produced a bumper crop of new illegals, hoping for the same deal. Cut off the jobs by heavily fining employers. Every illegal who did not pay taxes should have an assessment of their taxes as a fine that must be paid before re-entry.I was sympathetic until the protests began. I refuse to have foreigners make demands and threats on Americans their demands on our own soil!

"And I hope they bring about a world in which the right to migrate is accepted as an essential pillar of freedom. "

I could not have said it any better.

Read the article "A Right to Migrate?" by Nathan Smith at:

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=040606D

So here is one American saying cheers to foreigners making demands on our soil for the recognition of the universal human right to migrate!

Funny how the leftist media couches this as an immigration issue, rather than an illegal immigration issue. I bet that the vast majority of Americans (Blue and Red) have no problem with immigration in general -- it's the "illegal" part that is most troubling. Reporting on the real issue rather than engaging in slights of hand would go a long way in bring a real solution to this very real problem.

12-20 million, probably more are here nothing we can do about that.

Our borders are a joke. That problem will never get fixed.

These people are in our schools, hospitals, prisons, etc. at no cost to them. That's what has to stop!! Figure out how to enforce income tax, and I'll be happy.

No Walls:

No one is arguing that they can't come here at all - but that those who want to live here should do it legally. It's disrespectful to do otherwise.

My ancestors arrived here from England, France, Germany, Poland, and Russia. The ones from Poland and Russia came here because of the pograms... and most likely would have died in concentration camps if they hadn't come here. I say accept the huddled masses yearning to be free, and help them find jobs and become part of American society as a whole. New people, new talents, new ideas.

A big misconception about illegal immigrant is that none of them pay taxes and social security, when in fact a huge number of them do. Many of them work for companies where taxes and social security are automatically withdrawn from their (bi)weekly checks (like most of us). Social security is something they'll never be able to get back because they're probably using a fake number, but they're still paying for it. The argument about them abusing our social services can also be applied to millions of US citizens nowdays that could very well obtain a job and make an honest living, but instead decide to drop out of school and cheat the system. We can't blame all our problems on illegal immigrants; I believe that our system is completely broken, once we fix that, then it won't be nearly as easy for people (including illegal immigrants) to continue to cheat the system. To me, "kicking them out" is not a solution, but just using them as a scapegoat for our internal problems as a nation.

Let's add this up - the typical cost cited for support of illegal immigrants is $30,000 a year per person (medical, school, prison). So, $30K X 12,000,000 = A WHOLE LOT MORE EACH YEAR THAN THE COST OF ROUNDING THEM UP AT THEIR ILLEGAL DEMONSTRATIONS AND DEPORTING THEM ON ABOUT 10000 FREE C5 TRIPS - no need for busses.

Illegal means criminal. If you cross illegally into Mexico, it's a felony. Laws of reciprocation should apply here.

But, if good old fashioned American taxpayers won't bother to write their senators daily and complain or demonstrate like the illegals do (national call for American voters to do that on Apr 23) then I guess all we can do is continue to "PRESS 1 FOR SPANISH and 2 For ENGLISH".

You're paying them billions to take your country from you! Mathmatically speaking, they're giving us beans instead of beads for it.

Think about it.

For every illegal immigrant worker there is an ILLEGAL EMPLOYER!

Seems to me, the real illegals are the employers. After all, they can speak English and read the law.

If American CEOs and State and Federal law enforcement don't respect our oppressive immigration laws, why blame the world's working poor for ignoring the stupid laws either?

Did you drive over the speed limit on your way to work today?

Criminals.

The whole lot of you!

The rhetoric needs to be turned down a notch on all sides of the debate. The US has a rich cultural diversity that reflects the broad swath of immigrants that have chosen to pursue opportunity here. The opponents of restrictive immigrant legislation in Congress have been successful in painting the issue as "anti-immigrant" rather than a debate on how to enhance the security of US borders, create enforceable workplace regulations, and what to do with the 11 million illegals already here. Clearly, the current system isn't working. We taught the illegal immigrant community in 1986 that if you stick around long enough, we'll concede and grant you legal status. 20 years later, we have a huge illegal backlog awaiting the same treatment. Laws that give employers strong legal protection in demanding difficult to forge documentation of immigration status, and perhaps even something as radical as denying automatic US citizenship to the new born offspring of illegals in the country, would be first steps. Maybe also a national biomorphic database - fingerprints, eye scans, dna - of those caught trying to enter illegally that would preclude you from EVER being eligible for citizenship. The vast majority of the illegal immigrants are here to improve their lot in life. It's hard to fault them for having hopes and dreams. Yet a country based on the rule of law can not allow would be residents and citizens to selectively chose which laws they follow. We should encourage the best, brightest, and hard working from around the world to seek legal entry to the United States and set strong disincentives to turn away those who would subvert the system. A country that can not control its borders can not control its destiny.

A country that cannot control its speed limits cannot control its destiny. Illegal driving cannot be tolerated in a country based on the rule of law. We've tried licensing drivers, requiring a photo ID, age restricitions, vehicle registration, but it hasn't stopped the pandemic tide of drivers ignoring the law. It's time to get tough. We installed fences along the borders of our freeways and restricted entry to on ramps. That did not work either. More armed officers patrolling our roads is simply not enough. We should install cameras with motion sensors and radar every 500 feet to photograph this crime epidemic and send automatic tickets to these illegal drivers. We must control our roads. Maybe an ID chip in every car tracked by satellite would be a cheaper way to implement this automatic enforcement of our road laws. We must regain control of our roads from these illegal drivers, before there is any talk about amnesty. We tried that before. We let illegal drivers back on our roads after paying fines and attending English classes, I mean good driving classes. Anyone caught driving illegally should face a felony for even one mile over the limit one time. They should never be allowed to drive a car again. Their children could be allowed to drive after they have lived here for sixteen years. Clearly the system isn't working. Fifty years of lax enforcement have taught illegal drivers that if you keep speeding long enough, we aren't going to enforce the law anymore. We need better documentation of drivers and strong laws with difficult to forge documents for car dealerships to use in determining who can and cannot purchase an automobile. Maybe also a national biomorphic database - fingerprints, eye scans, dna - of those caught trying to drive illegally that would preclude you from EVER being eligible to buy a car. We should encourage the best and brightest drivers from around the world to come here for jobs in the transportation sector. These hardworking drivers have hopes and dreams too. We simply must enforce our laws and we need stronger disincentives to thwart this massive disobedience. A country based on the rule of law can not allow would be drivers to selectively choose which laws they follow. Take back our roads.

I am the son of LEGAL immigrants from India. My parents migrated to the states in the late 1960's. My dad arrived in 1968 and my mother in late 1969. Though they knew little english my parents made the states their home. In the early 1980s the two became naturalized. Throughout their lives my parents have worked hard, paid taxes, and lived as honest hardworking Americans. They learned the language and lived the dream. They never broke the law. My father died two weeks ago.
I personally know how difficult it was for my parents to leave their home and come to a stange land. I know how difficult it must have been for them to file the paperwork, learn the langauge and assimilate into a new culture. Despite the difficulties they managed to succeed in acheiving their dreams.

Many of our ancestors were immigrants, legal immigrants. There is nothing wrong with legal immigration. The problem is that Central and South Americans believe the best course of action is breaking the law. Then they come here and demand "rights." They have no rights.

Should we have a guest worker program? Emphatically yes. Should we allow some legal course for citizenship for those who come here legally in a guest worker program? Probably. Should we grant amnesty to those who entered the country illegally? No. The last time we did it, we were innundated with more of them.

They cost us lots of money. In Fairfax County, we are paying an enormous sum in the schools budget for ESL programs. Many of us who must pay, through our taxes, do not hire illegal immigrants. There's a fairness issue for citizens too.

To the anonymous post: As an FYI - I'm not an INDIAN guy. I'm an American - born and raised.

If 11 million US citizens were to invade Mexico illegally, I believe that would be called an act of war by our nationalistic southern neighbor. Can you imagine US citizens demonstrating in the streets of Mexico City and getting away with it?

What I find confusing is that 11 million "hard working" Mexicans can't change their own country? That is 10% of the total population of Mexico as it stands now. That number is staggering in terms of economic power and and political clout if everyone were to vote. Until Mexico changes, large scale illegal immigration will exist. And if every "hard working" Mexican leaves instead of attempting to change their own country, when does Mexico change? They are making money hand over fist with their oil reserves. Yet they can't figure a way to produce jobs and generate beneficial climate so that their own citizens can stay home and work? Instead they blame the United States for building a fence?

Not that I am against illegal immigration. Quite frankly I don't care if someone wants to do backbreaking labor to produce a better life. What I do care about is that 11 million number and the assimilation of that large a population into the United States. This is the United States of America. Not the United States of America, territory of Mexico.

PTT

Why do you think the southwest is now part of the good old USA?

Because hard working English speaking Americans migrated to Mexican territory.

Demography is destiny.

The real question is - what does this mean for the future of America.

I say more than anything else, make them learn English.

And please, companies like Lowes should be boycotted for posting all their signs in English and Spanish.

Lowes in Loudoun County goes so far as to post ENTER and EXIT signs in Spanish as well as English. How ridiculous. If these people cannot learn what red and white signs reading "ENTER" or "EXIT" mean in English on their first day here, they should be deported for stupidity.

I think Lowes is insulting my intelligence and hardworking Mexicans as well.

How can we polticize this issue???!!!!

Other than to state that both sides - DEM and REP really don't want to lose votes.

George Bush speaking Spanish everytime he see's a LATINO is indicative of this. Besides what has the current ADMINISTRATION done to control illegal immigration.

To the contrary as far back as JANUARY 7, 2004 - the current administration has been seeking to give amnesty to illegals.

Both of my Grandfathers emigrated from Italy in the 1880s, as did the parents of my two Grandmothers a bit earlier, so I am deeply aware of the fact that we are indeed a "country of immigrants". However, my ancestors entered the country legally. I find the failure to secure our borders to be unconscionable, especially in this post-9/11 world. How can we fail to stop the steady influx of people smuggling drugs and people, and bringing diseases [such as drug-resistant TB] and crime [such as prostitution] into our country? How can we tolerate the drain on our health care, judicial and educational systems? How can we provide citizenship to babies born to those here illegally? How is it that illegal aliens assert that they have "rights"? How can we consider amnesty to those who broke our laws wantonly? The naiveté of those who say "just this once" regarding amnesty is astounding - we will surely only encourage foreigners to continue to invade us with such a patently hollow "just this once" promise.

My suggestions? First, we need to provide the resources to the Border Patrol and Coast Guard to secure better our borders. Then we need to enact laws that provide severe penalties to any employer who employs an illegal alien. Third, we must refuse illegal aliens entry into any school or health care facility. Fourth, we must begin a long-term process to deport those who seek to remain here illegally. I know many argue this is not feasible because of the sheer number of them. My answer is that it took us years to get into this situation, and so, like dieting, it will take time to get back to where we should be. Let's start now. And I know there are those who argue about the economic impact of the loss of cheap labor. This is an area where we have lost our values. We should let the marketplace determine the outcome - our country is a free enterprise success story, and employers should be paying a proper wage [and withholding taxes and Social Security] to our citizens. Similar specious arguments were made about the abolition of slavery. Did you know that Albert Einstein attributed our country's success to HIGH wages? He believed that this encourages us to innovate!

High wages encourages innovation in order to replace high cost workers. Just like the high price for oil makes it profitable to drill wells in more extreme environments.

The jobs that would be replaced in this instance are service jobs such as housecleaning, landscaping, construction, agriculture, etc. The question is, if the wages for these jobs were to rise and as a result the cost of these services, would they still be viable businesses?

In manufacturing, the answer is not a chance. Overseas competition would simply replace those labor intensive operations that still operate using illegal labor.

Farming is already heavily subsidized by the government and the large agribusinesses are heavily invested in capital equipment. I see this industry simply investing in more capital equipment to replace loss of cheap farm labor. Of course your small farms that have not invested in organic branded crops most likely go out of business here, which they should have done years ago anyway. I'm sick of forking over tax dollars to save some cotton farmer. No one gives me money every year to prop up my business!!

For housecleaning, landscaping, construction, and other services that cannot be shipped overseas that would be an interesting question. You hear in the news about more and more human like robots being developed in Japan. (Now that country needs some serious immigration in order to deal with their declining and aging population.) Can you produce a $50K robot to perform the same work as 5 landscapers? If you can, you will be filthy rich and every high school dropout will be cursing your name. I of course will be praising your name. Living wage law no good when there are no unskilled employees in the business.

In any case, 11 million illegals suddenly becoming citizens will mean ~16 million citizens (you have to expect they will start paperwork to bring the family in). That is a powerful force, so if you want those borders fixed, you better fix them now when you have the power to vote and they are still filling out paperwork to get that power.

PTT has provided the most sensible, original comments here to date.

It is insulting that immigrants can come here illegally and make demands of this country, when it is their own countries and citizens that have failed them.

I admire that they are sending back money home to support their families and that family life is important. However, it also creates a nation of dependents, and offers their family members no incentive to work and try to do better. They just sit back and wait for the money to come to them from the US.

Mexico has alot of fertile land and a variety of geography. If the Arabs can become profitable countries in the middle of desert land, why can't Mexico, Central and South America do the same with better geography?

We cannot let whole countries and continents decay. Look at Africa, and South America. Citizens of these countries need to stand up and make changes for the better. Chinese citizens are striving to make major changes in their countries. Russians need to do the same to restore their country to the greatness it once was.

It is not possible to squeeze the entire population of the earth into limited land space (read the US).

On another note, American businesses should be held to providing health, sick, vacation and 401k benefits to their employees or go out of business.

The top brass of a corporation should not be allowed to earn more than 10 times the salary of the guys in the mailroom.

Minimum wage in this country should be immediately raised to $10/hour.

I thank immigrants for bringing to light the real problem in this country. The growing division between the rich and poor in this country, and how manipulative and self-serving wealthy Americans can be.

Let's solve this easily. Take a vote of all US Citizens and see what they want. Let's be democratic.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Welcome to the end of the Roman Empire, part II. We're being overrun by the barbarians while Nero/Bush fiddles. Why, you ask? Because he and the other wealthy trans-national elite have more in common with one another than they do with the vast majority of the people in the their respective nation states. Oligarchy...

The federal government doesn't even make the pretense of securing OUR borders. They put more money & effort into securing the border of Iraq. Talk about absurdity! We've basically surrendered our national sovreignty.

When all is said & done regarding ILLEGAL immigration, I believe a line from Grace Slick's "White Rabbit" says it perfectly:

"Logic and Proportion have fallen sloppy dead."

My husband and I pay over $700.00 dollars a month for health insurance,which is a big struggle we are middle income. Why if these immigrants are not paying taxes do they need help from the government? Can you imagine how much money we would have without paying taxes. And I'm sick of these protest marches I'm an American born citizen and the government seems to care more about the illegal immigrants than us. Not only should they go after the people hiring them they should go after people housing them. And one more thing do you see any thing on the front page just how many citizens are against amnesty. I guess being citizens doesn't mean a thing in America. Lets be heard!